Too Much for War. Not Enough for Peace

Our country has a bad habit of excessive military spending, and we’re all paying for it — through our taxes and through foreign policy that relies too heavily on military options.

For every dollar we pay today, 23 cents goes to pay directly for the military — and that’s not including the cost of past wars that we’re still paying for. Meanwhile, only 1 cent of every dollar pays for the diplomacy, development, and international cooperation efforts that we know build peace. Programs that help people in our communities meet their basic needs for food and shelter likewise receive only pennies on the dollar.

Those are the wrong priorities for our country. And when Congress gets back to work next week, they could make this imbalance even worse by adding even more money to the Pentagon.

In the next 10 days, your members of Congress will decide whether to add another $30 billion to the Pentagon’s budget this year, as President Trump has requested. They need to hear from you.

The U.S. is already pouring $600 billion per year into the Pentagon, more than the next seven countries combined. These Pentagon funding increases will come at the expense of essential programs that foster peace, preserve the environment, and protect the most vulnerable. They advance more militaristic foreign and domestic policies that feed insecurity and fear.

Diane Randall

Executive Secretary

Diane Randall is the Executive Secretary of the Friends Committee on
National Legislation. Diane leads FCNL’s staff to effectively educate
and lobby for the policies and legislative priorities established by
FCNL’s General Committee. A lifelong advocate for peace and social
justice, Diane is a fierce proponent for citizen engagement that
advances policies and practices to create a better society for all.